Apparatus for determining the percent of solids in a potato



1955 L. s. HELLER APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE PERCENT Fig.1

OF SOLIDS IN A POTATO Filed Sept. 25, 1951 m m Ms M EL R WL/m f T #M E 07 u itcd atcnt thee 2,720,901 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 APPARATUS FUR DETERMINING THE PERCENT OF SOLIDS IN A PGTATU Leland S. Heller, Boise, Idaho Application September 25, 1951, Serial No. 243,2titi 3 Claims. (Cl. 146-460) This invention relates to a method of quickly determining the percent of solids in a potato, and also to apparatus used in carrying out the method.

It often becomes desirable to know what percent of a potato is formed from solids and what percent from water. In the past a common way of making this determination has been to cut a piece of any convenient size from a potato, weigh it, bake or fry it to expel the water, and then weigh it again. Since there is no water in the piece when it is weighed the second time, the weight is of the solids alone. It is then a simple matter to ascertain what percent of the original piece was solids. The difiiculty with such a method is that the piece or test specimen of potato has to be weighed twice and also heated to dehydrate it, all of which takes a considerable amount of time and is not suitable for field use.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a method of determining the percent of solids in a potato which is very rapid, which is dependable, and which does not require a test specimen to be heated or otherwise dehydrated. Another object is to provide simple and eflicient apparatus to aid in carrying out the method.

In accordance with this invention a test specimen having a known volume is cut from a potato or the like and then weighed. A suitable way of obtaining such a specimen is to cut a core from the potato and then cut from the core a section of such a length that the resulting specimen will have the desired volume. Thus, if a core of a predetermined cross sectional area is removed from the potato and then a section of predetermined length is cut from the core, the section will have a predetermined volume equivalent, for example, to a cubic inch. After the specimen has been weighed, its weight is matched with that of a standard specimen of the same Weight appearing in a table. The table contains the different weights of a number of specimens, all of which have the same volume as the test specimen. Opposite each weigh on the table there is shown the percent of solids which previously has been determined in any suitable manner for a specimen of that particular weight. Consequently, the table immediately discloses the percent of solids in a specimen having the weight and volume of the test specimen.

The preferred embodiment of the apparatus for carrying out this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a type of table used in practicing the method; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a tube for removing cores from potatoes; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a device for cutting test specimens from the cores; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3 after the core has been cut through.

The table shown in Fig. 1 is a type that may be used in the practice of this invention. Such a table is compiled from data obtained from specimens of equal volume cut from a large number of different potatoes. The specimens are weighed separately and those that have different weights are selected for further treatment. Assuming that the volume of each specimen is equivalent to a cubic inch and that they are weighed in grams, it is preferred to select those whose weights difier from one another by .05 of a gram. These selected or standard specimens are then baked or otherwise heated to dehydrate them so that nothing but their solid portion will remain. The

dehydrated specimens then are weighed separately again to obtain the weight of their solids, and the percent of solids in the original specimens is calculated. The table that is made from the information thus obtained shows in one column the weight in grams of difierent standard specimens of the same volume, and shows in a parallel column the percent of solids in each specimen represented by weight in the first column.

Standard specimens of uniform volume can be obtained in various ways by different types of devices that will cut from a potato a piece of the desired size. Preferably, however, a tubular implement 1 with a sharp front end is used for extracting a cylindrical core 2 from a potato. This implement is pushed through the potato and then removed from it filled with a core or plug of potato. The core then is cut transversely to produce a cylindrical section of predetermined length. The actual volume of the section, that will serve as a standard specimen, is not important as long as all of the specimens have the same volume, which they will have if formed by the same size core extractor and core cutter.

A device for cutting standard specimens from cores is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It includes a base 5 on which a concave seat for the core is rigidly mounted. The seat may consist of a plate 6 that has blocks 7 secured to its opposite ends. Each block is provided with an arcuate recess 8 having the same radius as the inside of the core extractor so that when a core is laid in the two recesses it will fit in the blocks. Rigidly mounted on the base on opposite sides of the seat, midway between blocks 7, are two vertical pins 10. Slidably mounted on these pins is a vertically reciprocable cutter frame formed from a pair of horizontal parallel bars 11 connected centrally by an upwardly arched cross-piece 12 integral with the tops of the bars. The bars extend along opposite sides of the seat and have wide central portions 13 provided with vertical openings that snugly receive the pins. The crosspiece also forms a grip for the fingers to raise and lower the cutter frame.

The opposite ends of the cutter frame bars are provided with rectangular recesses 15, in which the opposite ends of a pair of parallel vertical knives 16 are disposed. These knives can conveniently be formed from razor blades. Each knife is clamped in place by blocks 17 that are held in place against the end portions of the knives by screws 18 threaded into the bars. This arrangement permits the knives to be removed and replaced by sharp ones whenever necessary. The distance between the two knives can be whatever is desired, but if it is wished to cut specimens having a cubic inch of volume, then the knives have to be spaced apart whatever distance is necessary to cut a specimen of that volume from a core of the diameter produced by the core extractor. In any event, all specimens produced by the same core extractor and specimen cutter will be the same size, which is necessary in order to make up the table described above.

With such a table to refer to, a person desiring to quickly determine the solids content of any potato can do so conveniently in almost any location without having to otherwise dehydrate any part of the potato. All that he has to do is to cut from a potato a test specimen that has the same volume as those whose weights were recorded in the table, and then find in the left hand column of the table a like, or substantially like, weight 3, of a standard specimen, Then by merely lookingacross to the other column of figures in the table he will find the percent of solids in that particular standard specimen, which had the same volume and weight as the testsp'eei' "en that he has just weighed; The indicated percent of' solids will therefore apply to the test specimen and the potato from which that specimen was taken. By using the core extractor and the cutter disclosed herein for producing the test spe en, it will he sure to have the same volume as the; stan ard' specimens of the table.

Although this invention has been described in connection: with potatoes; it will be understood that the same method and apparatus can be used for determining: the ercent of: solids in other vegetables and fruits; The claims herein therefore are not to be considered as limitedl to potatoes.-

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described: what I: now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, desire to have it understood tha1.,withi'nthe scope of. the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as spa-- cifi'cally illustrated and described.

1.. A device for cutting: a: test specimen from a core removed from a potato; comprising a base, a seat thereon for said: c'ore,'a'n upright pin mounted on the: base on each side of said: seat midway betweenthe opposite ends of. the seat, a; horizontal bar slidably mounted on each pin and extending lengthwise of the seat, a bridging member having its opposite: ends joined to the tops of the bars and holding them. parallel to each other, said bridigingi member extending upward between the bars and serving as a; handle for reciprocating the bars vertically on the pins, the end portions of. the bars being. provided with flat vertical surfaces, a vertical knife extending across the" space between: said bars near each end and having. an: inner face engaging a pair of said: vertical surfaces, clamping, members engagingithe outer faces of the knives at their opposite" ends and projecting therefrom, and: screws extending, through said clamping members and into the bars to press the end portions of the knives tightly against said bars, whereby the knives can be forced downthrough a potato core on said seat to cut out a section having a length equal to the distance betweenthe knives.

2.- A device for cutting; a test specimen from a core removed from a potato, comprising a base, a seat thereon for said core, an upright pin mounted on the base on each side of said seat midway between the opposite ends of the seat, a horizontal bar slidably mounted on each pin and extending lengthwise of the seat, a central bridging member having its opposite ends joined to the tops of the bars and holding them parallel to each other, said bridging member extending upward between the bars and serving as a handle for reciprocating the bars vertically on the pins, each end of each bar being provided with a recess having a vertical flat inner wall and an open side facing the other bar, a vertical knife extending across the space between the bars near each end and having its ends projecting into a pair of said recesses, blocks disposed in the recesses, and screws extending through the blocks and into said inner walls behind them to clamp the ends of the knives between said blocks and walls, whereby the knives can be forceddown through a potato core on saidseat to cut out a section h'avin'g 'alength equal to the distance between the knives.

3, A device for cutting a test specimen from a core removed from a potato,- co'mprising a base, means for supporting: said core thereon with its axis parallel to the base, a pair of parallel oars disposed on opposite sides of said supporting. means, means rigidly connecting the tops of the bars, upright means connecting the bars with said base for guided vertical movement, each end ofi each bar being provided with a recess having a vertical flat inner Wall and an open side facing the other bar, a ver-" tical knife extending across the space between the bars near each end andh'aving its ends projecting into a pair of said recesses, blocks disposed in the recesses, and screws extending through the blocks and into saidinner walls behind them to clamp the ends of the knives between said blocks and walls, whereby the knives canbe forced down through a potato core on said support ing means to cut out asection having alength equal to the distance between the knives.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED' STATES PATENTS 944,087 Gloekler et all Dec. 2 1", 1909' 959,633 So'mnier' May 31', 1910" 1,656,415 Bre'itkrentz" Ian. 17, 1929 2,061,711 M'ar'chfie'ld Nov; 24', I936 2,526,298 Theonville Oct. 17, 1950 

